(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a thermosetting resin composition that includes decabromodiphenylethane and that is useful in the manufacture of high performance prepreg, laminate and composite materials as well as the prepregs, laminates and composites made from the thermosetting resin composition.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Plastics have certain mechanical and structural properties that can be improved when the plastics are combined with reinforcing components. Composites formed of various fibers embedded in a polymer resin matrix, for example, are especially useful. However, such compositions are susceptible to enormous physical property variations depending upon, for example, the nature of the fiber used, how the fiber is utilized, and the fiber matrix or binder. The uses for such composites range from airframes to tennis rackets and from boat hulls to rocket motor casings, and laminates for use, for example, as multilayer printed circuit boards in the electronics industry.
Polyimide materials have been used in multilayer printed circuit boards for a number of years because of the generally favorable flammability and electrical properties of such materials. V1 polyimide type resin systems used today, however, are marginally acceptable in the industry and have a high level of within sample-sample and within sample variation in flammability testing. There is a need, therefore, for improvements in the flammability properties of resin systems so that composites made therefrom can, for example, consistently pass UL 94 V1 flammability requirements.